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Wednesday, 17 May 2017

WEP PEACE AND LOVE WINNER DOLORAH shares a guest post on BRIDGES.

Thanks for coming by!Today, our winner for the WEP Peace and Love challenge, Dolorah, is using her guest post to educate us some more on 'bridges.' It is an entertaining post, so I hope you enjoy it and that is sparks something for the June BRIDGES challenge.

When I think of bridges, I almost always think of literary bridges. Probably because I'm a bit intimidated by physical bridges. I love them of course, in pictures and paintings. Or staring at them across a river bank They are majestic, a feat of engineering beauty. I love looking at art with bridges and tunnels; I like jig saw puzzles and bridges are my favorites to assemble, and I'm even hoping to erect a foot-bridge in my yard across a drainage ditch. But I have to admit that many times in my adult life, especially at night, I've traveled as much as five minutes out of my way to avoid a bridge or tunnel.

I know this is an irrational fear. I am not afraid of trolls collecting their fees (I'm actually comforted by the toll booths erected at mid point); I am not swayed by billy goats offering fatter byways for passage; and I'm not worried that the physical structures are fragile and doomed to fall into the depths of non-existence.

Perhaps my irrational fear of bridges has more to do with my dislike of tight places, and height. Bridges are high above empty spaces, and are closely confined. No matter how long or wide or tall, there is no flexibility of movement. Once you enter the confines, there is no turning back, or veering off to the side for a quick exit. Perhaps this is why bridges collect spirits or ghosts; the victims felt confined in life, and thus are unable to move on after death.

In the literary or metaphorical sense, a bridge can be described as a crossing, a connection, a transition, or a passage spanning two concepts. In terms of crafting a plot, it could be the transition between the crux (the culmination of all the disjointed threads) and the end. That point where the tension is so intense the reader has to read on to see if their conclusions are accurate, despite kids needing to be picked up from school, the husband demanding dinner, the need to pee, or the boss calling to see why you're late for work.

By design, bridges are a mid-point, a transition; but do not always have to be "the middle" in writing. For instance, a literary bridge for a character could be an "aha" moment in the first few scenes where they recognize who/what they are isn't working in their life, and a change must be made. A catalyst (monumental event) could also be a bridge: say a friend asks for advice and the woman realizes the advice she gives could also apply to her own life, so she takes her own advice and makes a life changing decision. The story itself is that life transition, but the bridge is the moment of recognition.

Or a middle aged man dreams of a tryst with a younger woman, yet when faced with the opportunity he envisions his daughter’s face and this revelation reconnects him to his wife through a series of romantic gestures. The story is how he recaptures his waning relationship; the bridge is the moment he realizes he needs to change. Regardless of the genre, each scene is a bridge to the next scene, all connected to the chapter plot, and each chapter is another connection to the overall story plot.

Academics, finances, relationships, children, career opportunities; all can be bridges or passages into new experiences, or just to cement an ambiguous decision. In writing, the transitions and passages are as limitless as the author's imagination.

My own "bridge" into the writing world came at a very low point in my life. I had lost a job, was in dire straits, and began to write a story just to fill my time. It eased my stress. I enjoyed writing so much that I continued even after I obtained employment.The blogging/writing community has been a bridge of sorts to me; it allows me to meet other authors, I've gained resources and education, learned techniques from a variety of writing teachers and peers, and honed my craft enough to become published in several anthologies. And, to win the coveted prize in WEP.

Regardless of how you view a BRIDGE - as a physical edifice spanning the distance over a chasm, or as a metaphorical transition between two emotional states - there is no denying that writing that story will bridge the distance between Author and Reader.

Thank you Denise and Yolanda for allowing me to take over the blog today.

And here is a promo for our BRIDGES challenge taken from the UP-COMING CHALLENGES FOR 2017 PAGE ABOVE.

June:Bridges

Water under the bridge? Or interpret this prompt as a setting, or as an overture after a breach, or just the word inserted somewhere into your writing/images.

Thoughts: Literally--Prisoners of war building a bridge, thinking of loved ones, inspiration to survive...Bridge over the River Kwai, The Narrow Road to the Deep North, the Bridges of Madison County...

Explorers building a bridge to an unexplored site…Engineers building a bridge that collapses...Metaphorically--Building bridges after a feudWater under the bridge--let bygones be bygones

26 comments:

Loved Dolorah's post.It is not bridges but basements I have difficulties with. And for some reason dental bridges (shudder) have pushed their way to the forefront of the porridge in my head for this next challenge.

I like bridges, but high ones with running water beneath can make me feel disoriented as I'm going one direction which is perpendicular to the water below. . .An excellent post by Dolorah and I offer my belated congrats on winning the last challenge. I missed the post about the winner (sorry). I've burnt a few bridges (not literally), but not any that I've regretted.

Gosh, where have I been? LOL Almost forgot this was posting today! I'm leery of bridges too, especially ones you can see through. ;) To bad the one I'm crossing now isn't more transparent! Thanks, Donna! Great intro for next months challenge.

If you ever make it through Twin Falls Idaho you should cross the Perrine Bridge. Deep gorge (almost like the Grand Canyon), beautiful walkways, the Snake River looking like a trickling creek far below. Awesome and intimidating.

Always a pleasure to read you, Donna! Piercingly true about writing being in bridge to other things...and an awesome lead into next month's challenge.

I am a bit scared of rope/bamboo bridges :) but otherwise love them all - the view you get of the river/gorge from the middle of the bridge (literally and metaphorically) is pure magic! Can't beat that for clearing the cobwebs :) are those metaphors mixed enough?! :)

Beautiful. For me, bridges represent a bit of trust too. We're stepping out trusting the engineers, builders, and inspectors. I suppose that works in metaphorical bridges too. I started writing when life got rough too. It was me stepping out of reality into a fantasy and trusting that things would be all right in time. Beat the pants off of obsessive worry!

I never met a bridge - physical or metaphorical - that did not take a lot of "trust" to cross. Life is like that too; I think a "leap of faith" is the ultimate bridge into the next adventure, whatever that adventure may be.

Great post! I have a bridge idea stewing in my mind... certainly not the traditional one.On the other hand, I'm in an area where a covered bridge tour is an actual thing, a tourist attraction. http://www.discoverlehighvalley.com/103/play/covered-bridge-tour/

Here at WEP we love non-traditional, lol. Anything that comes close to meeting the basic criteria. That was a lovely bridge. Love the old stuff, and touristy things. I travel a lot and am always curious about local legends.

Bridges make me nervous and excited at the same time. I do fear them crumbling while I'm on them. For me, anything I can't run to escape can cause anxiety (I'm also not fond of ships on deep water). Not to the point of keeping me off them, but enough to think of the possible negatives. Bridges in writing can be incredibly important, and anything that ties pieces together is a plus.

Hi Donna - love all the ideas about bridges and how you've linked them together ... I've had the WEP Bridges in mind ... so must get writing. I come from family who design bridges - though it hasn't filtered down here! Still it's interesting to see all the types of bridges ... and I love the little bridges that allow us to cross streams and watch the flowing clear water below ... cheers to one and all - Hilary

Hi,I enjoyed reading your article about Bridges. They also symbolise a change for me. It's a new time and something is about to happen. I like to move on, but moving on means crossing a bridge. The old fades as you soon as you put your foot on the bridge. Thank you for an engaging article. Shalom aleichem,Pat

I used to be TERRIFIED of heights. Every time my dad drove us over the GW bridge to visit relatives in NJ, I would turn green...Then when I started driving very LATE at 30, I had to face my fears. Driving from NY to Florida, I had to cross that same bridge. I took a deep breath and soared right over it. Never had any issues again. I have traveled all over the country and over countless bridges, and now I actually enjoy it. The views are often Heart-stopping... in a good way!

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